The Fairy's Tale
by Serpent Tailed Angel
Summary: A series of drabbles. Now with a new name. Feel free to request scenarios. Story 11, Hatchling: There had to be some point that Igneel had chosen to take a human child.
1. Whatever May Come (Sting and Rogue)

Although kind gestures weren't his forte, being the emotive one was his job. With that in mind, Sting held onto Rogue, whispering and nodding as his friend trembled and stuttered.

"I know you wouldn't. It's alright. Don't worry, I'm not upset."

Silently, Sting thanked his lucky stars that Rogue was too out of sorts to tell he was lying, because yes, he was upset. A future where he died at his friend's hands? Of course he was upset. But that future had yet to come, and might not. Until then, he was willing to use his own hands to comfort.


	2. Scarlet (Jellal and Erza)

He'd be lying if he said he wasn't nervous. His disguise could be seen through, he could be taken away, face execution, and drag a guild full a kindhearted people down with him, but he was risking something even greater: Erza's judgment.

The look on her face as she saw him, bundled in enough fabric to make him appreciate Gray, was killing him. Was she shocked? Disgusted? She didn't look happy, as far as he could tell.

"It can't be… Jellal?"

How did she feel? He couldn't say, so he gave the only neutral response he could think of.

"Shh."


	3. Azule (Jellal and Erza)

And here she'd thought she had nothing to worry about but winning.

Yet who else could that be, stepping into the arena in Mystogan's heavy clothes? Now she had to win without looking like a unattractive monster in front of Jellal.

Maybe it wasn't really him! Could Mystogan have come back? Even if it was Jellal's face, someone so impassive would alleviate any worries she had of being judged. It couldn't be him, right. Right?

"It can't be… Jellal?"

He lifted a finger to lips she almost knew and said nothing more than "Shh."

Oh dear God. She was doomed.


	4. Reunion (Natsu and Zeref)

Natsu stood in the dead grass, eyebrow twitching as he tried to place the cause of the pang in his chest, the pain blossoming in the back of his head, all the odd sensations that spread throughout his body as he looked at that man. He wanted it to _stop_.

"You've really grown… Natsu."

That man… that man who had nearly killed his friends, who was causing him to feel so strange. This was his chance to become S-class and it was going wrong, and everything that was wrong with it was that man's fault.

"Who the hell are you?"


	5. Groceries (Jellal)

There are many tasks in the world too dangerous for the average man to comprehend-when your face is plastered on a 'dead or alive' poster in every guild in the country.

Jellal didn't get it. How come he, the most distinctive looking of their group, was the one who'd been tasked with sneaking into town to buy groceries? Didn't those two realize they were making him risk his life just to buy a few vegetables?

"That will be 6000 Jewels, sir."

"Right." Just pay and get out. He reached into his pocket and…

"Ah…"

"Sir?"

"Sorry… I forgot my wallet."


	6. Goodnight (Rogue and Frosch)

"Rogue…?"

He scooted over and patted the open section of mattress by his side.

Even with the invite, Frosch felt she ought to justify herself. Maybe it would keep Lector from calling her childish in the morning. "Fro couldn't sleep. If Fro had to disappear too… it's scary. And Rogue said…"

"Nothing will happen to you while I'm here," Rogue assured her. "Come up."

She climbed onto the bed with Rogue, settling into a nook between his arm and torso. "Fro doesn't want to disappear."

"You won't. Come in here as many nights as you want. I'll keep you safe."


	7. Bacon (Natsu and Lucy)

It wasn't the smell of bacon burning that made Lucy jump out of bed, it was the fact that she was in bed when she smelled bacon burning.

"Don't burn my house down this early in the morning!"

One kick to the chest later, Natsu sat on her floor, rubbing the bruise mark that was forming and looking up at Lucy with his most innocent of expressions. "I was only trying to make you breakfast."

When Lucy locked her front door behind them, Natsu sulked off towards the guild, forming plans to burn her house down while making lunch instead.


	8. Shower (Gray, Lucy, and Juvia)

She'd found Cana and Loke in her tub before, but Gray was a first.

_At least he still has underwear on…_

"What are you doing?"

Gray put a finger to his lips, "Juvia's after me."

Lucy rolled her eyes and pulled the curtain over him. "Fine. Stay in there. I'll just shower at your house."

Gray mumbled the location of his spare keys and slumped back as he heard Lucy slam the front door. Juvia, who had snuck into the showerhead to make sure her love rival did nothing to Gray-sama, congratulated herself on learning the way into Gray's place.


	9. Last Name (Jellal and Erza)

"I think I made a mistake. It suits you_ too_ well. Maybe to the point of being cliché."

Erza laughed. "Sorry. What are we talking about now?"

"Your last name," Jellal told her. "Scarlet. I don't know what I was thinking when I decided to call you that."

Erza felt like she'd been struck with a sack of bricks, for she'd thought of her last name as a point of pride, as a reminder of Jellal's sweeter self, and for assurance of the beauty she was sure he'd seen in her. "What would you change it to?"

"How about Fernandez?"


	10. White (Sting and Rogue)

"It's not going to kill you."

"We don't know that."

"Prove me wrong."

Sting looked aghast. "You _want_ me to kill myself? That's dark."

Rogue rolled his eyes and snatched the spoon from Sting's hand, jabbing it into the black bean soup and holding up a mouthful for the blond to eat. "Open wide."

"If Natsu once got sick eating lightning, then as the white dragon—" Rogue shoved the spoon into Sting's mouth while the idiot tried to rattle off his excuse.

Sting flinched, grimaced, pulled the spoon out, and swallowed. Then he told Rogue honestly, "It just tastes gross."


	11. Hatchling (Natsu and Igneel)

Humans were small, but this one was too tiny. Igneel prodded it with his nose, sniffing the thing to confirm that he'd stumbled upon a hatchling.

Where was the hatchling's mother? That creature could barely use its legs. Surely humans didn't send their young out that early. He sat guard until the sun had passed most way through the sky, but no other humans came, and the hatchling was shrieking.

Human or not, he couldn't leave a hatchling on its own. Lifting it by the awful smelling white band above its legs, Igneel carried the creature back to his den.


	12. Child (Jellal and kid Erza)

Jellal blushed and looked away, not sure what he could say that wouldn't make the situation worse.

The little girl gazed up at him, eyes wide with hope and fear. "I love you," she said. Jellal hadn't the slightest idea what to say to that. Children said such things all the time, but this one was different. This little girl knew what it meant.

What should he say? That he loved a _child_? They'd add pedophilia to his list of crimes.

"We're only babysitting you," Merudy told Erza. "No lovey-dovey stuff until you get back to normal, you got it?"


End file.
